Wrinkles
by Tsunderellah
Summary: As long as we are here together, it feels like this could last forever. ReaderxDanny


**Another one-shot from Tsundere. Enjoy. **

**P.S. Don't forget to review. :D**

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So many days, months, years were spent with you, it's almost like my entire life had passed by your side. There was not one memory I cherish, not one single dream from the past that you weren't in. You were there for everything- everything that my aged old brain can remember. During my youth, you were there, watching over me- protecting me from the world with your arms, always happily encircled around my body. More than often, you tried to disguise your need to protect with that smart-ass tongue of yours- but I always knew. You would give up your life to protect me. You were my shield, my soft place to fall. I adore you for the heaven that you offered to me so unconditionally. It's true that more often than not we squabbled over the silliest things. We were very opinionated, proud people and by nature, we hated being wrong about anything. I love you for never giving up on me- especially for that time when I thought that I could never fall in love because of my problems- my burdens. You proved me wrong- so very wrong. You knocked on my heart, and you showed me that life is precious. You showed me with that smile of yours that seemed to become bigger and bigger as time passed, that life would only get better if I spend it with you.

You opened the door to my heart and made yourself at home.

So much time was spent with you who stole my heart, and I found myself looking forward to tomorrow. Being with you became so natural, so fun- after the first awkward dates, of course. You invested so much time, effort and love into our relationship, and to making me happy. Your love made me grow and glow. I reached my dreams with your help and encouragement. I got into college- a feat that I know would not have been possible without you. You help me become who I am. I graduated- became what I always wanted to be. My career was sound, and so was yours-(you were always smarter than me) but that never intervened with our private life. I remember coming home to our house and finding your warm arms ready to embrace me. The sight of your twinkling eyes and that devilish smirk of yours always set me on a happy mood. Our life never got boring. You were so fun to be with, whatever we're doing I find myself enjoying it- be it eating seaweed at the local Japanese restaurant or just a quiet night in watching James Bond movies and eating sour worms and cheese and onion potato chips (your favourite). You were so perfect that I simply couldn't resist. I remember quietly sneaking out on the day of our 5th anniversary. You were tired from a long overnight shift at the office. (Not like you needed to work.) You were always such a hard-core workaholic that it wasn't really a feat. You were face-down on the pillow, your arms flung all over the bed, your rump in the air. I remember laughing- you looked so much like a starfish; a stark naked starfish. It gave me a good view of your pale, alabaster skin. Your cheeks were red, warmed by the heavy duvet you always insist on sleeping under. There, surrounded by warm sunbeam; a halo of golden light shimmering around your body, I felt myself fall in love with you all over. You were so beautiful.

On a balmy April day, I withdrew what little money I had from my account and set off to pick-up an order: a size nine ring- a simple golden band with a small inscription written on the inside ordered the previous week. I remember spending hours on Google Translate- finding a good inscription in latin. I found one that suited us so perfectly. For a week, I was giddy and you, being the sharpest person I know, took notice. You had no idea why I was so hyperactive but it made you happy to see me happy- and it made me happier to see that grin on your lovely face.

"Please marry me!"

I remember blurting out during the dinner you prepared for our anniversary (you don't usually cook), stuttering nervously under pressure, knees knocking together, and heart hammering in my chest. You dropped your fork, splattering tomato sauce all over your white shirt. Your eyes widened, shocked at my proposal. I opened the ring box, offering the symbol of my love to you- hoping so much that you would take it. Tears bloomed in your eyes and you chuckled- your laughter echoing down the halls like beautiful music.

"You had better not spent ALL of your earnings on this- or else I'll never forgive you." You said as you picked up the ring, tears trailing down your smooth face. You slid the golden band down your ring finger and you smiled so angelically.

I was so happy.

I remember our wedding day, when I saw you waiting for me at the altar- that ecstatic grin of yours. You looked so magnificent in white; the reds of your cheeks were so beautifully contrasted against the whiteness. Your eyes gazed lovingly into mine, whispering quiet promises of eternity into my heart. I tried hard to remember the colour of the flowers that adorned each pew, or the ribbons that accompanied each bouquet, waving silently in the gentle spring breeze that wrapped the garden where we were wed in such a forgotten, fragrant embrace- but I sadly cannot. They all faded with the age of the memory, but your smile managed to evade the cobwebs of time, and the mists of forgetfulness. It burned brightly, and since then has never gone out.

I remember your smile when you silently told me of your desire to have children- a dream that I shared with you. I remember looking through oceans and mountains of baby name books, picking out the perfect name for our future children. Some of them were silly names, some of them cryptic and meaningful, but in the end we decided on a couple. (Though I still detest the name you gave the cat- Dan Flynnigan). Since I am the way I am, I refused to give the child my genetics, for the fear of causing the exact same problems for the child as I did in my youth. You told me I was stupid, that any child born from our union would be missing out on the kind, carefree nature of his or her father. You were angry at me for the longest time, but I wasn't going to yield- in no way is my child going to suffer the way I did- so we came up with a solution: adoption.

I remember meeting her for the very first time. The papers had finally been finalised (though as much as you like to deny it, not without your influence). We flew out to a small town in the Philippines to meet a small girl of five. She was tan, from years spent wandering, begging for alms in the streets (as the nuns told us). Her face lacked the chubbiness that I often associated with small children. Her big dark brown eyes stared into my blue ones- innocent yet proud. I gently held out to her a small white bear wearing a jean jacket and a red beanie. I felt myself smile as she gingerly took the bear from my outstretched hands, encircling her little arms around the toy, her face cuddling the smiling visage of the bear.

I fell madly in love with her- with Lyra.

We brought her back to our home. You treated her like a little princess, breaking so easily sometimes when she stared at a small Barbie doll, or that chalk board so big that couldn't fit through the front door- we had to put it in the garden shed, which you inevitable turned into her own little palace.

She was, in return, a little angel; a smart one at that. I swear, she really is your kid. Your smarts seemed to have rubbed off on her. I remember watching her grow into a lovely young lady, passing through life with comfortable ease; exactly what we wanted for her. I remember grinning happily as I watched her descend the stairs, her date to the prom waiting for her at the foot of the steps. He was a good boy- an intellectual (as she was) kind, gentle and ambitious. It was no wonder that he swept her off her feet, and it really wasn't surprising when they began dating, and eventually got married.

We were so proud of them.

We eventually became grand-parents- to the loveliest grand kids. It was a good thing that Lyra inherited my good sense in naming children. Lucas, with golden hair like his father, was our sun and his twin sister Claudia, with eyes so blue and crystalline, was our blue sky. They brought us so much happiness- Lucas with his boisterous, rough nature and Claudia with her gentle smile (and her unavoidable debates, a trait I think she inherited from you). Every day was full of sunshine and contentment.

It felt like this could last forever.

I know that we like to think that something like this would last forever, especially since we're not exactly getting younger. Our bodies are not as they used to be- aches and pains slowly crept up on us. Sometimes, walking became difficult; our knees began to creak as we walked up the stairs; our eyesight became worse- to the point that we never take off our glasses anymore (unless it was to sleep, and even then- you usually forgot). People that we knew began dying around us- because of age, of illness, of accidents. It was inevitable that we would soon follow.

I remember coming home from the grocer's- I had long since quit my job and we are living blissfully with our retirement funds, to find you sprawled on the couch, face deathly pale. You, shaking horribly, told me that your chest hurts and that it was hard to breathe. I quickly phoned 911, rapidly briefing the operator (whose voice was monotonous the entire conversation) on the situation with tears escaping from my eyes. I nearly had a heart attack myself when I heard that you've suffered a mild one. It was a good thing I found you so quickly- else it would have been fatal.

I wasn't ready to lose you yet.

I didn't know that you weren't either.

A few months later, after repeated visits to the family doctor due to some pains in my chest and my loss of energy, I was struck with a fatal blow.

I had cancer- or that's what they called it. The doctors were perplexed with the disease. My red blood cells, the production of which slowed by age, were rupturing at an alarming rate (they call it haemolysis). My bone marrow, unable to keep up with it- apparently began to send out malformed red blood cells that cannot properly carry oxygen to my heart. These malformed cells began to multiply, desperate to fill in the numbers that were destroyed by the haemolysis, growing at a great pace. These cells, with their bizarre shape, began accumulating in my capillaries, basically blocking the red cells that I do have that are healthy from performing gas exchange. In short, I was dying.

You threw the doctor's prognosis into the fire, laughing hysterically when I told you about it. There was no way I was dying before you, you said. You were older, why couldn't you have gone first?! You cried crystal tears, your fist ramming into everything: the furniture, the television, the souvenirs from our youth… You trashed our whole living room, and I just held you, your sobbing wrinkly face buried on the crook of my wrinkled neck. You said that you'll never let them take me, that I'd escape death, like I always did in the past, but deep down, we both knew…

My days were numbered.

We began to feverishly re-experience life. We went everywhere, spending our money on the most ridiculous things (like that grand suite in Las Vegas- you said it was not a biggie, but I begged to differ). I knew that you once again cursed fate, for screwing you over yet for the second time. That's why from behind my back, you worked hard in finding the cure for my disease. I appreciate the effort, but you're reading this now, which means that my time has been up. I might be lying, waiting for death (my friend from my youth) on a hospital bed; Lyra, her husband and the children surrounding me

I know that while it felt that time cannot end, that our life could last forever- one of us will have to leave the other behind. I've always been afraid that you'd leave me alone, that you'd go first. So for the longest while, I held a secret pleasure of knowing that I will never see you die. I will always see you as I have in the past, beautiful and alive. I take small comfort in that, but the bitterness of leaving you- you, who has been by my side for so many years, the thought of leaving you overwhelmed me.

So please let's take another oath, like the one we made on our wedding day- the promise of eternal love, and that you'd always be there for me.

Please promise me that, on the day of my passing, amidst all the tears you will inevitably shed, and the snot that will certainly (and ceaselessly) drip carelessly from your nose; that as your wrinkled hand holds mine- that you will smile.

For I know, even without looking at your face, that you would still look as beautiful as you did.

I've never been so happy. I'm so glad that you had loved me.

…

Your husband,

Your Danny.


End file.
